GLEN ALLEN, Va. – Penn State women’s basketball climbs to 78-66 win over VCU at the 4 Tha Culture Holiday Classic. The Lady Lions rise to 7-4, 0-1 Big Ten while the Rams fall to 4-9, 0-1 A10. A quartet of double figure scorers guided the squad to victory in the first game of the tournament.
Redshirt junior Moriah Murray recorded 18 points, all coming from shots from beyond the arc. She also posted four rebounds and four assists. Sophomore Kiymoi McMiller produced her 11th-straight double-digit scoring outing with 17 points to go with eight rebounds, three steals and two assists. Freshman Tèa Clèante compiled 15 points in addition to a team high eight assists and five steals. Redshirt junior Gracie Merkle put together her fourth double-double of the season with 13 points and 12 boards. Senior Maggie Mendelson totaled eight points in her first Lady Lion appearance. She also posted seven rebounds and three assists.
Penn State was effective in converting points from turnovers, adding 24 points from VCU’s miscues. The Lady Lions also made use of their second chance opportunities, compiling 19 second-chance points. The squad out-rebounded the Rams by a 46-37 margin.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Quarter
Penn State grabbed the opening tipoff but could not convert on its first possession, leaving the door open for VCU to add the first points. The teams traded turnovers and missed shots before the Rams added another set of points to their total with a jumper. Clèante’s second chance efforts gave the Lady Lions their first points of the contest, but VCU responded with a layup on its next trip down the court. Another series of turnovers made for a scoreless frame for both squads until a Mendelson steal and pass to Clèante to score it got PSU going offensively. McMiller turned defense into offense with a steal-and-score on Penn State’s next offensive try to tie the score at 6-6. VCU snuck in a basket before a 9-0 spark for the Lady Lions. Merkle had the tying basket and another set of points off turnovers for McMiller sent PSU into the lead. Murray followed that up with a shot from beyond the arc and Clèante used a VCU turnover to add two more points and extend the Lady Lions to a 15-8 edge. The Rams broke their silence with a layup following an offensive board. Neither team could convert on their next possessions until Viktoria Ranisavljevic drained a three-pointer. The squads exchanged points from layups until Murray finished off the first stanza with her second shot from long range to advance PSU to a 23-14 lead after 10 minutes of action.
Second Quarter
Murray was responsible for the first points of the second quarter with her third three-pointer of the afternoon. VCU put across two points but Clèante more than matched it with a shot from beyond the arc. The Rams used an offensive rebound to add their next points before getting a stop on the defensive end, allowing their offense to cut the margin to 29-20. After a set of missed shots for both teams, Merkle sank a toss from the charity stripe to build back a 10-point advantage for the Lady Lions. A free throw for McMiller in addition to Murray’s fourth three of the day gave PSU a 34-10 lead. VCU responded with 11 consecutive points of its own to cut the deficit to three at the 2:37 mark. McMiller broke up the Rams offensive spark with a second-chance jumper, but VCU has the answer with a long two on its next offensive try. Murray produced her fourth three-point score of the day to create a six-point edge. A turnover for the Rams was followed up by a missed shot for PSU and a foul committed on the defensive end. VCU made one of two free throws, but the Lady Lions had the last word of the quarter. McMiller used a step back jumper to give Penn State a 41-34 advantage at the halftime break.
Third Quarter
Mendelson notched her first points as a Lady Lion to begin the third stanza. VCU got on the board next with seven-straight points to inch the deficit to two and force PSU to utilize a timeout. Penn State came out of its regroup hot, scoring eight unanswered points. McMiller began the charge with a pullup jumper and forced a turnover on the other end to give Merkle a pair off points from the miscue. A missed three for the Rams was followed by a made three-pointer from Clèante. Each team drained one of their next two free throws. VCU made use of an offensive board with a jumper, but McMiller had the answer on the other end with a shot from long range to take a 54-44 lead for PSU. VCU added two points, but Murray immediately responded with her sixth three-pointer of the day. The Rams used a three-point play following a foul to decrease the margin to eight and followed up with four more points to cut the deficit to four. PSU compiled three points from a Ranisavljevic layup and Mendelson free throw. After a series of missed offensive opportunities for both groups, VCU added one free throw to create a 60-54 score. The Lady Lions grew their advantage back to 10 at the end of the third stanza following baskets from Merkle and McMiller. Penn State owned a 64-54 lead after 30 minutes of play.
Fourth Quarter
Neither team could add points to the board for the first two minutes of the final period. VCU broke the silence with a fastbreak layup at the 7:45 mark. The offensive struggles continued as both squads missed their next offensive possessions. Mendelson drained on of her two free throws to create a nine-point lead for PSU. A layup for VCU off a Penn State turnover was answered by a layup for Mendelson as she bodied her way to the rim. Turnovers on both sides left the score at 67-58 until Clèante stepped to the charity stripe where she sank one-of-two free throws. Merkle completed her double-double using a pair of points off a VCU turnover. Neither team added to the score on their next trips down the court. Nyla McFadden’s offensive rebound allowed her to draw a foul and take a trip to the free throw line where she drained the pair. Similarly, Clèante added two points from free throws after a turnover from VCU. Mendelson put up another set of points and drew a foul but was unable to convert the free throw. Back-to-back three pointers drew the margin to 12 with under a minute to play. A pair of free throws for the Rams added to their total, but Merkle had the final word with a layup at the rim to seal a 78-66 final score.
POSTGAME NOTES
Penn State vs. VCU
December 20, 2025
Henrico Sports & Events Center (Glen Allen, Va.)
- Murray posted her sixth game of the season with four-or-more three-pointers and third with six-plus.
- Mendelson made her first appearance for the Lady Lion basketball team. She played in her first basketball game in 1,003 days.
- McMiller continued her double figure scoring stretch, recording her 11th consecutive game scoring 10-plus-points.
- Merkle added her fourth double-double of the season and 36th of her career with 13 points and 12 rebounds.
- Clèante posted 15 points to go a career best eight assists and five steals.
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